Tony Danza is making up for lost time.

“One of the things I most regret about my life is that I didn’t take advantage of my youth,” said Mr. Danza, 75. “I had a great time, but nobody handed me an instrument and said, ‘Try this.’”

Now he is learning how to speak Spanish, play the piano and a cornet.

Mr. Danza, best known for his leading roles in the television series “Who’s the Boss?” and “Taxi,” has been entertainment’s jack-of-all-trades for decades. Yet he’s still striving to be the best singer, dancer and actor he can be.

“What I am is a guy with finite time who wants to get in as much as he can while he can,” he said.

Mr. Danza spent a Friday with The New York Times as he got ready for two performances, including a one-man show at Café Carlyle.